A petition has been launched calling for a new Bank Holiday in memory of the Queen. While the monarch's funeral has been made a one-off Bank Holiday on Monday (September 19), a new campaign wants to see a lasting tribute.
Tens of thousands of people have so far backed calls for September 8, the day the Queen died, to become that tribute. A Change.org petition from John Harries calls the Queen 'an inspiration woman'.
John added: "Queen Elizabeth II is our longest reigning Monarch, and arguably the Nations, and the world’s most popular monarch. In the words of President Macron, 'to you, she was your Queen, to us, she was THE Queen…The most constant symbol of Great Britain'.
"I believe we need a new public bank holiday to mark our greatest sovereign’s lifetime; a Queen Elizabeth Day. A day for our Nation to come together and celebrate both the life of the Queen, and our gratitude for the institution of our Royal Family."
John's petition cites the current number of UK Bank Holidays as one of the lowest in Europe. Currently, there are eight Bank Holidays in a traditional year.
There has, however, already been an additional Bank Holiday in 2022 to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee in June. That does still leave the UK trailing behind nations such as France, which has 11 Bank Holidays, and Spain, which has 14.
So far more than 20,000 people have signed the petition. John set out a target of 25,000 signatures. Supporter Tracy Easton said: "After serving for 70 years, this outstanding service needs to be marked." While Frank McCoid said: "We shouldn’t forget what the Queen has done for the country and the world."
The petition can be viewed here.
